Global enterprises are reimagining the role of their India operations as the country’s global capability centres (GCCs) transition from cost-efficient delivery hubs to strategic innovation engines.
Speaking to AIM at Cypher 2025, Jon Singleton, director of technical solutions at Burns & McDonnell, highlighted this shift. Recalling a recent panel discussion where leaders grappled with a defining question, he asked, “Will GCCs in India evolve into AI-powered innovation hubs or be redefined by autonomous agent platforms?”
He believed that the answer lies not in choosing between human-led teams and autonomous systems, but in building a hybrid model, one that combines deep business context, execution excellence and AI-driven augmentation to create a sustainable competitive moat for India’s GCC ecosystem.
“Stepping out of the airport and into the vibrant energy of Bengaluru is a reminder of why the city is often called the beating heart of India’s tech revolution,” he added.
This debate, however, is often framed too narrowly, between human-led in-house teams and fully autonomous external platforms. In Singleton’s view, that’s the wrong way to see it.
He believes the future isn’t about choosing one over the other; it’s about creating a powerful hybrid. The true, irreplaceable value of a GCC lies not in its ability to execute, but in how it applies technology within a deep business context, a strategic moat that no off-the-shelf platform can replicate.
The Pivot to Value Creation
For years, GCCs were measured by efficiency and cost optimisation. While these remain important, they’re now just the starting point. Burns & McDonnell Global-First Workforce Initiative reflects this shift. The company is driving significant reductions in service labour costs, not as an end goal, but as an enabler.
“By proving our ability to deliver with excellence, we earn the credibility to move from a cost-saver to a strategic value creator,” he explained. Efficiency provides the foundation and trust for our India hub to actively shape global strategy, powered by AI-driven productivity gains.
A recurring debate in global operations is whether to build internal AI capabilities or rely on external agentic SaaS platforms. However, Singleton believes the answer lies in doing both.
Relying solely on external tools can mean ceding strategic control. On the other hand, building entirely from scratch can be slow and resource-intensive.
“At Burns & McDonnell, we’ve adopted a build and accelerate model, a balanced strategy that leverages the strengths of both worlds,” he added.
He mentioned that the company plans to grow its India team by 164% by 2028 underlines this commitment. At the same time, they are accelerating automation and low-code adoption as well as piloting AI automation integration.
This approach builds internal strategic depth while supporting immediate value delivery through available technologies.
The Irreplaceable Moat: Deep Business Context
“You can’t innovate on an unstable foundation. A GCC must first master execution to earn the right to innovate,” Singleton explained.
The first wave of the company’s initiative is aptly named Foundational Execution. By targeting 95% service-level agreement adherence, Burns & McDonnell is creating a robust and reliable base for long-term innovation. This discipline forms the launchpad for the company’s next goal to “deliver over of 30% AI uplift by 2027 and over 40% by 2028”.
As Singleton pointed out, that level of value doesn’t come from following orders; it comes from reimagining processes. He believes that flawless execution is a prerequisite for high-stakes innovation.
The fear that AI will replace human workers persists across industries, but this perspective overlooks the bigger picture. “AI is the ultimate force multiplier,” he emphasised.
The company’s strategy focuses on augmentation, not replacement. By 2026, Burns & McDonnell expects to nearly double its available capacity while maintaining flat costs, an outcome made possible by making people more capable. AI and automation will take on repetitive and low-value tasks, allowing teams to focus on strategic, complex work.
Replacing roles delivers one-time savings. Augmenting talent, however, creates a scalable force multiplier that continuously enhances strategic impact.
This leads to the defining question that Singleton raised: if autonomous agents can be faster and cheaper, what makes GCCs indispensable?
The answer, he revealed, lies in deep business context.
Generic AI platforms can process vast data, but they can’t replicate institutional judgement, the nuanced understanding built through years of client relationships, project complexities and on-ground experience.
“Our irreplaceable value is the combination of top-tier global talent with specific institutional knowledge,” he said. “Our India team members are employee-owners using AI to solve our problems. That domain-specific application of AI is a strategic moat that no off-the-shelf solution can cross.”
The evolution of GCCs into true innovation hubs is a gradual process, not sudden a leap. It begins with execution excellence, advances through a hybrid model of talent and tools and is rooted in a culture that sees AI as a way to amplify human potential, not replace it.
The post Why Business Context is a GCC’s True Competitive Moat appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.
